Apparatus for cutting lengths from a web of paper, cardboard or similar material



June 2, 1953 PlPER 2,640,539

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING LENGTHS FROM A WEB OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL Filed July 12, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l 22 zsiF/G- 2 I nvenlor R E W P N A M w E N A N o R M w m M A June 1953 R. N. PIPER APPARATUS FOR CUTTING LENGTHS FROM A WEB OF PAPER, CARDBOARD 0R SIMILAR MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1950 39 2.9 f n v 4 s7 96 33 J j- 1 36 I E m Y ll mm A 32 ILLLLJ 44.44

l i I nvenlor l RONALD NEWMAN PIPER yiLj/tl Attorney June 2, 1953 R. N. PIPER 2,640,539

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING LENGTHS FROM A WEB OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL;

Filed July 12, 1950 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I nvenlor RONALD NEWMAN PIPER B JiJ 11421 A ltorney Patented June 2, 1953 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING LENGTHS FROM A WEB OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR SIMI- LAR MATERIAL Ronald Newman Piper, Epsom, England, assignor to Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Limited, London, England, a British company Application July 12, 1950, Serial No. 173,266 In Great Britain July 26, 1949 5 Claims. .(Cl. 164-68) This invention relates to apparatus for cutting lengths from a web of paper, cardboard, or similar material and in particular to apparatus for cutting lengths from a web issuing from a printing mechanism.

It is sometimes found that during the severing of a length from a web issuing from a printing mechanism a pull is imparted to the web which, being transmitted back to the portion of the web which is in the printing mechanism, or feeding rollers associated therewith, causes smudging of the printing. On the other hand if during a cutting operation there is a halting of the feed to the cutting mechanism there will be a bulging of the web with a tendency for the web to spring out of control in the region of cutting.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a rotary cutting mechanism in combination with printing mechanism, the cutting mechanism being so constructed as to avoid or considerably to reduce any tendency for the printing to become smudged or blurred clue to a cutting operation being efiected at the leading end of a web issuing from the printing mechanism.

According to the invention a method of cutting lengths from a web of paper, cardboard, or simi-' lar material comprises feeding a web continuously to a cutting position at which co-operable cutting elements are rotated in opposit directions and maintained in alignment so that during a cutting operation the cutting elements have a component of movement in the direction of movement of the web and move at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the web.

Further according to the invention apparatus for cutting lengths from a web of paper, cardboard, or similar material, comprises means continuously to feed a web to co-operable cutting elements, and means for rotating the cutting elements in opposite directions and maintaining them in alignment so that during a cutting operation the cutting elements have a component of movement in the direction of movement of the web and move at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the web.

Further, according to the invention apparatus for cutting lengths from a web of paper, cardboard, or similar material, comprises means continuously to feed a web to cutting elements coacting to cut a web simultaneously from opposite longitudinal edges to the centre thereof or co-acting to cut a web from a mid-point thereof 2 1 outwards to the longitudinal edges thereof, and means for rotating the cutting elements in opposite directions and maintaining them in alignmentso that during a cutting operation the cutting elements have a component of movement in the direction of movement of the web and move at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the web.

Still further according to the invention apparatus for cutting lengths from a web of paper, cardboard, Or similar material, comprises means including a positively rotatable feed roller continuously to feed a web to'a pair of knives supported for rotation in opposite directions by cranks the axes of which are disposed at all times in a common plane, said cranks being angularly movable at the same velocity a the angular velocity of the feed roller, and'means to maintain the knives in alignment during rotation thereof, the radius of the path through which the extremity of each knife passes being greater than the radius of the feedroller so that during a cutting operation the knives have a' component of movement in the direction of movement of the web and move at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the web.

The invention also comprises statistical record cards cut from a web by the method or apparatus hereinafter defined.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to a cutting apparatus adapted to sever lengths from a printed web of cardboard, the severed printed lengths comprising record cards for use with statistical machines and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, insection, on line l--l, Figure 2 of cutting apparatus according to the invention,

Figure 2 is an end of Figure 1, Figure 3 shows diagrammatically drive mecha nism to permit adjustment to register between printing and cutting while the apparatus is in operation,

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the method of operation of the cutting apparatus,

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the cutting knives when they occupy positions c and is, Figure 4, y V

Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a front elevation by the elevation, partly in section,

of the cutting knives when they occupy-positions d and 9', Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a plan of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a front elevation of the cuttin knives when they occupy position 9', Figure 4,

and

Figure 10 15a plan of Figure 9.

Referring to the drawings, a web l of cardboard the width of which is equal to the width of a statistical record card is drawn from a spool, not shown, over a guide roller 2 against which it is pressed by a tension spring 3 and between a pair of rollers adapted to iron out the curl in the web produced therein by the spool from which it is fed. The web is drawn from the spool by a pair of rollers 6, l and is moved by the rollers beneath a printing roller 8 and to a cutting mechanism. The roller 6 is urged by a spring, not shown, towards the roller 7, the roller 1 acting as a feed roller and being positively rotated continuously to feed the web at a constant linear speed. The feed roller i also acts as a platen, the printing roller 8 being disposed above the feed roller and receiving ink on its peripheral surface from an ink fountain comprising any suitable arrangement of inking rollers, including rollers 9, ill. The printing roller 8 is connected by gearing, not shown, with the roller '1 and may be adapted to print one card only during a complete revolution of the roller, 01', if desired, by suitably dimensioning the roller and controlling the angular velocity thereof, the printing roller may be adapted in known manner to print a plurality of cards during one revolution of the roller.

The printed web is fed in a horizontal plane to the cutting mechanism which comprises two cutting knives 43, i l disposed vertically one above the other, the lower knife l3 having a cutting edge l5 parallel with the under surface of the web while the upper knife has a cutting edge 16 of shallow inverted V-formation so that during a cutting operation severing is effected simultaneously from opposite longitudinal edges of the web towards the centre thereof by a. scissors action. Alternatively, the upper knife may have a cutting edge of V-form so that during a cutting operation the web is cut from a mid-point thereof outwards to the longitudinal edges thereof. a

The knives it, is are mounted to be rotatable in opposite directionsand to have during a cutting operation a component of movement in the direction of movement of the web such that during the cutting operation the knives move inthedirection of movement of the Web and at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the web. As shown in Fi ure 1, the knife i3 is rotated clockwise and the knife I4 is rotated counter-clockwise.

The knives are supported for movement in a circular path by cranks, two cranks ll, l8 being provided to support each knife, the cranks of each pair being in axial alignment. The four cranks are so mounted with respect one to the other that at all times their axes are disposed in a common vertical plane.

The cranks are rotatable about the axes of stub shafts 19, 29, Figure 2, which are mounted in bearings 2i in the frame 22 of the machine and connection between the knives and the cranks is efiected by a pair of slotted plates 23, 23 between which the knives are supported and through which the cranks ll, it pass. The two axially aligned cranks associated with the upper knife M are mounted to rotate in the slotted '4 plates so that the plates are moved in a circular path by the cranks and the upper knife M is secured at its ends to a pair of supporting plates 25, Figure l, pivotally mounted as at 25A in fixed plates 26 secured to the inner faces of the slotted plates 23, 2 for movement therewith.

The lower knife 13 is supported by a pair of sliding blocks 2'l arranged to reciprocate lengthwise in the slots 28 in the slotted plates during rotary movement of the slotted plate about the axes of rotation of the stub shafts i9, 28 associated with the cranks I'l, if; and the cranks for the lower knife are rotatable in the sliding blocks El. Thus, as the four cranks are rotated about the axes of their stub shafts the slotted plates maintain the axes of the cranks in a common vertical plane and the knives in parallel relation and substantially vertical alignment and vertical relative movement between the knives is obtained by reciprocation of the lower knife l3 lengthwise of the slots it in the slotted plates.

The stub shafts l8, 2! are rotated at the same angular velocity as that of the feed roller l and are driven by two trains of gearing, each train driving the stub shaft for one crank of each pair of cranks, the two trains being coupled by a shaft 29 on which is mounted one gear 38 of each of the two trains. A flexible drive connects the said gear trains with the printing roller 8 and preferably comprises a (inferential gear which permits the register between printing and cutting to be adjusted without the necessity of stopping the apparatus during its operation.

The flexible drive comprises a spiral gear 3i. Figures 1 and 3, secured to shaft 28 and meshing with a similar gear 32 keyed to a shaft 33. A carriage 34 is slidable axially on a fixed spindle 35 and is adjustable lengthwise of the spindle through the medium of a screw-threaded control member 36. A spiral gear 37 is connected by a key 38 with the shaft 83 for rotation therewith and through gear 39 drives the shaft if! to which the roller 7 is secured. As the roller i is geared to the printing roller 8 adjustment of the gear is transmitted to the roller 3. The gear 3! is slidable lengthwise of the shaft 33 on actuation of control member 36 and this adjustment can be effected while the apparatus is in operation thus permitting adjustment of the register between the printing roller and the cutting elements. The radius R, Figure 4, of the path through which the extremity of the cutting edge of each knife moves is slightly greater than the radius 1 of the feed roller so that during a cutting operation the knives each have a component of movement in the direction of movement of the web l and move at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the web. The radii R are such that the angular velocity of the knives at the point 9! equals the velocity of movement of the web and at either side of said point is less than the velocity of the web due to the component of movement of said knives.

The upper knife M which, as stated above, is secured to a pair of pivotally mounted supporting plates 25 is urged by springs ll sprung into engagement with a stop comprising a bearing if for an upper crank H and is secured to the slotted plate 23. The stop 42 is engaged by the head 43 of a screw 44 passing through the knife i l and having a nut 45 on its outer end so that the relative position of the cutting edge of the upper knife may be adjusted within fine limits relative to the cutting edge of the lower knife.

Behind the upper knife there is provided a stripper spring 46 having two depending per:

tions l! extending slightly below the cutting edge of the upper knife, the stripper acting in a. man

ner such that it engages the upper surface of the web just behind the point at which the web is being cut thus guiding the leading severed edge of the web until the upper knife has been moved completely clear of the lower knife. This permits the leading edge of the web to move forward with the lower knife until it is received between a pair of guide plates Ml, E9 disposed on the opposite sides of the path of the web.

Associated with the guide plates it, 49 between which the leading edge of the web is moved is a pair of rollers 55!, the peripheral speed of which exceeds the linear speed of the statistical record card which is cut from the leading end of the web. Of the pair of rollers 50-, 51, the roller 5! is positively rotated as shown in Figure 1 and the roller 50 is a skid roller supported by a 'pivoted bell-crank 52 andv urged towards the roller 5! by a spring 53. The roller 5!: in known manner, runs freely on the upper surface of a card until the card is completely severed from the web but when the card is severed from the web it is gripped between the rollers 50, 5! and is fed thereby at the peripheral speed of the roller 5!. Thus, when the statistical record card has been completely severed from the web it is moved forwardly at an increased linear speed and may be delivered into any suitable receptacle.

The method of operation of the apparatus will now be briefly described with particular reference to Figures 4 to of the drawings of which Figure 4 illustrates diagrammatically a number of positions occupied by the knives l3, [4 during and after a cutting operation and the position of an arbitrary point on the web at the instants when the knives occupy said positions. To this end thirteen knife positions have been selected and are indicated by the reference characters a, b, c, d, e, J, g, h, i, a, 70, Z, m, and the positions of said arbitrary point on the web at these instants are indicated by the reference characters aa, bb, cc, dd, ee, ff, gg, hh, 7'9, Ick, ll, mml' Figures 5 to 10 illustrate the manner in which the knives l3, I4 co-operate at selected positions during a cutting operation which, as can be seen from Figure 4 is effected between positions 6 and As will be understood the knives also occupy similar-relative positions after a cutting operation the order then being reversed between positions g and It.

From Figure 4 it will be understood that the component of movement of the knives I3, M is greater at the bottom dead centre of the upper cranks I9, 20, that is at position 9 the end of the cutting operation, than it is at the start of the cutting operation position 0. As has been stated above the radius R is greater than the radius r but if, to further the understanding of the operation of the apparatus, it is assumed that the radius 1' of the feed roller 1 is equal to the radius R and a 1:1 ratio is assumed between the feed roller I and the cranks I9, 20, then the horizontal speed of the knives at position Q will exactly equal the linear speed of the web I but will be less on each side of the position .(7. Consequently the web will be flat when the knives are at position 0 but will buckle when the knives are at positions d, e, 1, and 9' due to the distances B, C, D, and E being less than A.

In the apparatus herein described A is made to equal E so that the web is fiat at the knife positions 0 and g and the distances B, C and D approximate more nearly to A and these conditions are obtained by making radius it slightly greater than radius r.

From the foregoing description with reference toFigure 4, it will be understood that during a cutting operation the knives l3, 14 have a component of movement in the direction of movement of the web I such that during the cutting operation the knives move in the direction of movement of the web at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linearspeed of the web. Thus the portion of the web which is between the printing position and the knives coacting to sever a length from the web remains in a substantially fiat condition and continues to advance towards the cutting position at the linear speed imparted thereto by the feeding rollers. By this arrangement there is avoided a pulling on the web which would tend to smudge or blur the printing being effected on the web. or the building up of a bulge behind the cutting knives which might tend to cause the lead ing edge of the web to spring out of control after a length has been cut therefrom.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cutting lengths from a web of paper, cardboard, or similar material, comprising the combination with a positively rotated feed roller to feed a web continuously and knife carriers mounted for rotation in opposite directions, of knives supported for rotary movement with said carriers at the angular velocity of said feed roller, a pair of slotted plates each pivotally supported, a pair of axially aligned cranks, a knife carrier for supporting one of said knives between said plates, and a pair of blocks acting as carriers for the other of said knives, each of said blocks being pivotally mounted on one of the pair of axially aligned cranks and slidable in the slot of one of said plates for maintaining the knives in alignment during rotation thereof, the radius of the path through which the extremity of each knife passes being greater than the radius of the feed roller so that during a cutting operation the knives have a component of movement in the direction of movement of the web and move at an average speed equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the Web, and means for maintaining the cutting elements substantially in parallel planes at all times during rotation thereof.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the knife carrier is pivotally mounted in said plates and the knife carried thereby its resiliently urged against a stop, and adjusting means for adjusting the position of the knife with respect to the stop.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a stripper is connected to the knife carrier to retain the cut edge of the web in contact with the knife supported by said blocks until the other of the knives has been moved out of engagement therewith.

4. A device for cutting lengths from a moving web comprising sets of upper and lower axially aligned shafts, a train of parts for driving said shafts at the same speed in opposite directions, axially aligned pins associated with each set of shafts and driven eccentrically thereby, spaced slotted plates pivotally mounted on one set of said pins, knife carriers pivoted on another set of said pins and movable in said slots, a first knife vertically mounted between said plates and pivoted thereto, a second knife vertically mounted between said plates and fixed to said carriers; the first knife partaking of the eccentric rotary movement of said plates and the second knife partaking of the eccentric rotary movement of said carriers and said knives at their cutting edges having a component of movement in vertical and horizontal rotary clirection equal to or slightly less than the linear speed of the web in the direction of movement thereof.

5. A device for cutting lengths from a moving web comprising drive shafts, spaced slotted plates, knife carrying means guided in the slots of said plates, pin means for mounting said plates and said carrying means for eccentric movement relatively to said shafts, knife carrying means pivoted. to said plates, knives mounted between said plates and on said carrying means for rotary and reciprocating movement in parallel overlapping relation with respect to each other during a cutting action, means for, yieldably urging said pivoted knife toward said plate pin means, and means for adjustably spacing said urged knife from said plate pin means to vary the position of said urged knife with respect to the other knife.

RONALD NEWMAN PIPER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,140,392 Novick May 25, 1915 1,738,076 Molins Dec. 3, 1929 1,910,387 Hahn May 23, 1933 1,913,153 De Salardi June 6, 1933 2,020,996 Crafts Nov. 12, 1935 2,157,000 Morgan et a1 May 2, 1939 2,246,957 Shields June 24, 1941 2,504,035 Morgan Apr. 11, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 437,029 Great Britain Mar. 4, 1935 

